about ten feet away. Jack was holding her elbow and looking infinitely pleased.
"I'm Lauraleigh. Pleased to meet ya." Lauraleigh held out her hand for Eric to shake. He took it cautiously.
"I belong with him." She winked, jabbing her thumb in Jack's direction.
"Excuse me, but who are you, and how did you neutralize McMurphy over there?" Helen interjected.
"Who...?" Eric began, but Helen silenced him with an eye-roll.
Lauraleigh smiled. "I was Jack's wife, when we were both still living. I died years ago but I never moved on to the afterlife because I discovered I was good at getting rid of the Others. Too good. The authorities know about me but they let me do my job because they've seen my work. And there is a lot of work to be done."
"I tried to find her but I got stuck at the boundary line," Jack interrupted, "only when Sam went cuckoo and the Others started converging on us, Lauraleigh came to dispatch them. That's when she found me." They smiled at each other.
Helen put her hands on her hips and looked doubtful. "You mean to tell me that for 32 years all you've been doing is fighting these Others?"
Lauraleigh laughed. "Sound boring to you?" Her eyes narrowed and she spoke softly, "I've fought more wars than W even dreamed of starting. Joan of Arc looks like General Custer next to me. Trust me when I say I know how to keep the Others at bay long enough for you three to finish your job. If you know where to begin, that is."
"I have an idea about that." Eric began. Helen interrupted, "Yeah, he's been busy playing with his feelings while we were under attack."
"Well let the boy talk." said Jack.
Eric cleared his throat. "Well." He paused. The idea seemed remarkably foolish and untested now that he was about to place it in front of scrutiny. He plunged on. "The idea first occurred to me when Sam went all Bobby Knight on us. I noticed that the more he yelled and ranted, the more agitated the living people in his vicinity got. The difference was significant. And I don't know about you guys, but the more frustrated I am, the less clearly I think. It's probably pretty hard for these people to sort out the mess of our bodies if they're all flustered and upset by the spirits around them. So I tried a little experiment. When Helen and I were trying to figure out how Jack here did the vanishing act I accidentally got excited. And the police officer nearest me was noticeably happier along with me. So I concentrated on feeling good, and his ideas started flowing. Maybe if we spread out and
"I'm Lauraleigh. Pleased to meet ya." Lauraleigh held out her hand for Eric to shake. He took it cautiously.
"I belong with him." She winked, jabbing her thumb in Jack's direction.
"Excuse me, but who are you, and how did you neutralize McMurphy over there?" Helen interjected.
"Who...?" Eric began, but Helen silenced him with an eye-roll.
Lauraleigh smiled. "I was Jack's wife, when we were both still living. I died years ago but I never moved on to the afterlife because I discovered I was good at getting rid of the Others. Too good. The authorities know about me but they let me do my job because they've seen my work. And there is a lot of work to be done."
"I tried to find her but I got stuck at the boundary line," Jack interrupted, "only when Sam went cuckoo and the Others started converging on us, Lauraleigh came to dispatch them. That's when she found me." They smiled at each other.
Helen put her hands on her hips and looked doubtful. "You mean to tell me that for 32 years all you've been doing is fighting these Others?"
Lauraleigh laughed. "Sound boring to you?" Her eyes narrowed and she spoke softly, "I've fought more wars than W even dreamed of starting. Joan of Arc looks like General Custer next to me. Trust me when I say I know how to keep the Others at bay long enough for you three to finish your job. If you know where to begin, that is."
"I have an idea about that." Eric began. Helen interrupted, "Yeah, he's been busy playing with his feelings while we were under attack."
"Well let the boy talk." said Jack.
Eric cleared his throat. "Well." He paused. The idea seemed remarkably foolish and untested now that he was about to place it in front of scrutiny. He plunged on. "The idea first occurred to me when Sam went all Bobby Knight on us. I noticed that the more he yelled and ranted, the more agitated the living people in his vicinity got. The difference was significant. And I don't know about you guys, but the more frustrated I am, the less clearly I think. It's probably pretty hard for these people to sort out the mess of our bodies if they're all flustered and upset by the spirits around them. So I tried a little experiment. When Helen and I were trying to figure out how Jack here did the vanishing act I accidentally got excited. And the police officer nearest me was noticeably happier along with me. So I concentrated on feeling good, and his ideas started flowing. Maybe if we spread out and
